Dumbbell pressing not gonna help your bench?

[The Viking]

I posted in the 'Exercises' section, but I thought it would be better to ask ya'll.

1a. - Basically, I've heard at some other site that if you substitute your benching with DB presses for a period of time, your bench numbers would go down. Is this true? -

b. - If so, why is that? The muscles that you are working on are similiar, and an increase in strength is the same one way or the other. I mean, assuming those DB presses are actually working your chest, and it gets stronger, it should transfer over to the bench right? Increasing numbers on any exercise isn't some crazy placebo effect.

For instance, if some part of your body got stronger, does it really matter what exercise you do? If your chest got stronger by benching, shouldn't you be able to use more weight with DB flys? If your biceps got stronger by BB curls, wouldn't your DB curl numbers increase? (Rhetorical question by the way.) -

2. I have heard that your motor skills for a particular exercise, your form and muscle memory developement, have a big effect on your numbers. This is what someone told me; when he insists that if I substitute all my Bench Press with DB Press, that I will get a decreasing max on the bench. No matter what. But that sounds so totally wrong; if my numbers with DB press increase, I must be getting stronger/more endurance. However, he says it doesn't matter, and just insists my bench number will drop. He seems to be some 'respected' member of that one site's forum, so his words have an effect on my thought... Do ya'll think this guy is right or wrong? (Now that I read this, its basically the same question as #1)

Please shed some light on this matter for me, thank you in advance.

[chuckt]

I cant guarntee results for a raw bench, but i have been doing heavy high rep db presses on what used to be me Dynamic effort bench day and my bench has gone from a 413 to 518 in a little over a year. I think that heavy db work has really helped my low end strength, and tricep strength ( i like to do my presses palms facing each other)

[Newbtime]

I have heard of some powerlifters using dumbell flys in the low rep rang and dumbell press in the low rep range.

[Vincent Vega]

Heavy dumbells have helped my bench a lot. I will sometimes go for weeks without doing a regular bench, and still hit pr's come contest time. I think it's good to switch it up to shock the body.

[Landrypunk]

I think some DB pressing will help your bench press if it is worked in right. It just hits the chest differently. I really like Dumb Bells better than straight bench. Actually I especially like the burn from decline DB press. I'm not lookin for increasing my bench press numbers per se though so don't take my word for it. I think though that DB work hits the chest at a different angle or just adds to your work out and is worth while since you have to balance them.

Something like how doing real squats is better than doing them in with a smith machine.

I read an article saying you can bench more with a special belt that only lets you move one way but for training it is better to do your max bench and not to use the special belt.

A lot of guys say so many things it is impossible to know what is right for you. I mean if you are trying to compete take whatever helps you and don't get too pissed if guys are trying to help ya.

[SavageHunger]

This is a question of "Transfer" and there is an article about that on this site. I agree with the guy from the other site to a certain extent about the Bench going down if switching to doing dumbells. From personal experience, when I switch exercises that target similar muscle groups, I usually have a reduce in strength from the original exercise. Some examples are "Hammer strength" rows vs pulldowns (cable) to the front. Leg Press vs Squat. If strength gains are great in the new exercise, like 20%, it could carry over (transfer) to the original exercise. Overall gains in DBP should impact your BP resulting in strength gains if your gains in DBP are much greater than your normal gains in BP. In other words think of it as a ratio.

Training specificly for BP will probably have the greatest affect on the BP.
Compare PL's Back type squat to OLY lifters' front type full squat. IF they tried to compete in each one's specialized lift without any preperation, I doubt either would do as well, but would do much better than someone who doesn't train. Think of someone who only does machine flyes and dips but never benches. His Max BP would be better than if he had never exercised, but not better than if he just trained for BP.

Applying this theory, I had my best gains in strength when I did many exercises per body part. I am not a power lifter but had similar stength to PL at that BW back in my younger training years.

[HandOfFate]

I'm more of a 'Strongman', I guess, but I love HEAVY dumbells.

[Diana Meeque]

it helped my bench.

i used dumbells for a few weeks and went from only being able to do 70's 3-4 times to doing 75's 5-6 times, and then tried maxing on regular bench and got 185. (weak, i know but i was stuck at 175 for a long time before i started doing dumbells more)

[raffiki]

It would be stupid to drop BB bench entirely. Your body will recruit muscle fibers differently for different exercises. At some point if you increase your DB bench enough, your BB bench will increase without training it. But I don't see any sense in dropping your bench out of your routine. You can go a little lighter on it, and emphasize DB work more.

A trick to increase tranfer, although still theoretical, is to alternate exercises. Take a BB bench weight that you can do 5 reps with, and do sets of 3. Between each set, do a set of 6 with the DBs. Rest about 2 min. between each, don't superset.

[GoJu]

I think heavy DB incline presses will help your flat BB bench nicely, I know DB overhead presses have helped a lot with shoulder stability when doing bb presses and OH squats. I say either alternate BB and DB every workout or just do both, I suggest BB's as the ME exercise and DB's as assitance, or whatever you feel like doing. DB's work!

[The Viking]

THank you everyone for your replies. I think I got it down now.

[PitzaPapa]

specificity

[Blk98Bird]

I might have missed someone already mentioning this, but dumbell bench work helps bring up shoulder strength for pressing movements as well. I've been using db bench for assistance work lately so I can keep training with the barbell but get the benefits of working with dumbells. It's helped my power off the chest a lot.